my cr125 is still too damn tall.....should I throw in the towel?(short guy problems)

[huskylove]

So I bought this thing last year, and completely went through the bike. Got it together and every ride on uphill off camber turns I drop the thing and break all the levers and shifter/brake pedal. I still drop the thing on every uphill turn. I am 5' 6" tall with a short inseam.

I bought this 99 cr125 because I figured the lightweight would be easier than my 511 in the dirt to manage.

The problem is the early 2 strokes are INSANELY TALL! It is a full 38" tall stock even with preload backed off. I then cut the seat down, its 37.25" tall now. My husky 511 with supermoto wheels, supermoto suspension and cut seat is 35" tall and it is PERFECT! Even maybe .5" too low actually in the rear.

I now realize though that to make me comfortable on this bike it will need to be lowered AT LEAST 2" which is just too much in my opinion, to still have a cut down seat that is like riding on wood (not much foam). Even with the lectron it lacks the bottom end punch I would like. the 125 rips on the straights but uphill its spin it or bog.

So I have been eye balling the beta xtrainer which has a stock seat height of 35.8" so if I cut a bit out of the foam/replace with squishier foam in the seat, shove the forks up and back off some preload the bike will be presumably perfect for me. Bike bike power with a lower stature.

But they are msrp 7000$. Motoxotica will take my 125 back in on trade, but that leaves a large deficit for a dirt bike. I would have to come up with some cash quick as they will be coming in march supposedly.

I know rider skill should overcome the height but when there is like 10" between your foot and the ground....the bike falls over I do not care who you are. Since lowering my 511 on 17's with street tires I have road dirt a few times, flat track etc, and have only dropped it once I think in the mud.

I just want to ride and be comfortable.


beta; http://www.betausa.com/node/1984


offending husky bike;

 

[gots_a_sol]

Have you considered having the suspension shortened?

 

[huskylove]

I have but the amount needed is too much in my opinion. I have backed off on shock preload and I tried pushing the forks up 1.5" and was still not enough and the bike got very very unstable. So I put the forks back.

I would need atleast 2" front and rear to improve it and the cost is too much. I think the bike is only worth maybe $2000-2500 maximum if someone really wanted it. I have atleast that much into it now ufortunately to spend another 500+ on suspension work is just not worth it. Plus honestly the power delivery even with the lectron is too much towards the top end. I would prefer a larger cc 2 stroke. Honestly a wr125 would have suited me better. Or a wr300 but still too tall.

 

[juicypips]

Get your legs broken and have bone inserts about 2" be a while healing but its quite a successful operation now.

 

[domrvt]

How did you like the 511 in the dirt? Maybe just get some dirt wheels for it?

 

[justintendo]

that is kinda what a 125 is, especially considering your other bikes.
this doesnt get around the 125 problem but a call to a suspension shop should be/have been done to talk over options. you start making changes to the preload to attain a certain height instead of sag your handling can get jacked up quickly..even though im over 6 feet tall there are many times i cant touch ground when riding in hairy situations. i believe its part of off roading, altho i guess it may be hard for me to relate.
that seat has got to be absolutely painful offroad

 

[Clete]

I kinda feel your pain, my WR250 is tall for me, always looking for the "just right" place to stop/park on the trail.
Last outing almost completely through the day, thinking to myself, I have not had a "get-off" today. About 5 minutes later
sitting at an intersection of gravel roads, im side hilling it. start my bike, go to put right foot down so i can shift into gear with my left, I lose it. tried to hold it up, but let 'er fall slowly and walked away from it.
That's a sweet looking CR, just put some practice into those turns.

 

[huskylove]

How did you like the 511 in the dirt? Maybe just get some dirt wheels for it?

I had tons of trouble with it stock on dirt wheels and stock height, unfortunately my suspension is now lowered and stiffened, and my front brake is modified for supermoto use.

When it was stock it was about as tall as the 125 is now.

I could run some knobby 17" style tires but to be honest this bike is really setup well for bombing the kart track or twisties. I want something a bit more dirt capable.


I think it all is part of dirt riding but getting some more low end torque and lower seat height with comparable weight sounds really really good right now.

 

[huskylove]

The CR is pretty freaking nice right now, I just kicked it and it ring dinged to life, and man it goes like hell. I am great but soon as i have to cut a tight corner or stop I am totally fed.

I am sure I will get better with expierience but honestly I cant be comfortable enough to ride my ride with the height issue.

 

[oldbikedude]

It sucks being short when it comes to dirt biking. I know...I'm 5'7". It is a definite handicap. Throw on some stiff riding boots where pointing the toes are limited & it's even worse. I just try to keep moving. Just getting on & off the bike is painful & the older I get, the harder it is to deal with.

 

[troy deck]

Get your legs broken and have bone inserts about 2" be a while healing but its quite a successful operation now.

my brother in-law has dead guy parts in his arm it works just fine

 

[ptkatoomer]

I know it seems kind of expensive, but I'm considering lowering AND valving the suspension for my KTM 250xc becuase of this problem. I'll bet that 10" of travel that's valved specifically for you and your riding would more than compensate for 12" of stock suspension........
I've checked around and ZipTy does seem to have the best pricing.

 

[justintendo]

honestly, i know it sounds crazy...but the comfort and confidence would be worth it... if i still had my 79 wr250, and you rode it, you would be in heaven. that bike was so small, low, and narrow. lol, probably ran about the same as your 125, maybe just a tad more bottom...waaaay more flywheel effect and hard to stall.

 

[Huskynoobee]

^^^ Ding ding ding! Exactly what I was going to say. Not sure how much they charge in the Bay area, but if it's like most stuff, they are likely pretty high compared to most places.

Zip Ty will run you much much less than buying a new bike. If you are needing a bike to learn on that CR sounds like the ticket. I'm 6'1" and I'm having my rear shock lowered on my '11 449. At 39" it's pretty tall for me plus it will actually handle better as well. Ty has had his share of small bore CRs so if anybody knows how to set one up for anybody, it's him.

 

[justintendo]

lets face it, justifying mods according to what a bike is 'worth' is not a good idea. they are a bad investment all the way around.
lets see..
i have a 95 360...traded an 84 250 for that was worth maybe 1200.
bought a dynoport pipe and silencer excellent used shape..400
lectron...440
engine refresh including used cases and wossner, gaskets, ...600 doing my own splitting
had WER respring and revalve my suspension...650
plus tires, chain, sprockets, etc...plus hundreds for other things..
see where this is going? but my bike is set up perfect for me and honestly is quite the terror..

oh ya, just mounted some studded mitas trellies on spare wheels for snow fun.
the thing is i dont sell often, so i will likely wear out everything i paid for..

EDIT i have since acquired another 84 wr 250, lol

 

[Zomby woof]

Drop a tooth on your countershaft sprocket. That will help your stalling problem. I'm your size and ride a 2011 CR150. It's too tall, but I manage OK.

 

[454x]

I have but the amount needed is too much in my opinion. I have backed off on shock preload and I tried pushing the forks up 1.5" and was still not enough and the bike got very very unstable. So I put the forks back.

I would need atleast 2" front and rear to improve it and the cost is too much. I think the bike is only worth maybe $2000-2500 maximum if someone really wanted it. I have atleast that much into it now ufortunately to spend another 500+ on suspension work is just not worth it. Plus honestly the power delivery even with the lectron is too much towards the top end. I would prefer a larger cc 2 stroke. Honestly a wr125 would have suited me better. Or a wr300 but still too tall.

Husky Love, I have a 2012 CR165 lowered 2" for my wife. I have a 32" insteam and weigh about 240 in gear. The bike flat hauls ass with my fat ass on it and is lowered 2"s.There is no lack of power in the low mid or top with a WallyBean 165 kit. My friend who is 6'1" 250lbs also rode it a couple times and had no problems with the lack of the missing 2"s of suspension and loved the power. I live less than two hours north from you if you would like to come try it out.

Tim.

 

[justintendo]

with more practice you will worry less about where the ground is at and focus more on carrying momentum. having a shop set the suspension up for your weight and height will greatly improve the handling and help you do just exactly that.

 

[huskylove]

Husky Love, I have a 2012 CR165 lowered 2" for my wife. I have a 32" insteam and weigh about 240 in gear. The bike flat hauls ass with my fat ass on it and is lowered 2"s.There is no lack of power in the low mid or top with a WallyBean 165 kit. My friend who is 6'1" 250lbs also rode it a couple times and had no problems with the lack of the missing 2"s of suspension and loved the power. I live less than two hours north from you if you would like to come try it out.

Tim.

This is interesting. I just cant see spending that much money on this bike right now. I would think getting a bike better suited out of the box might be a better investment. Either way money is tight right now so whichever I choose will be a stretch.

 

[Huskynoobee]

Just make sure the parts are sorted since it's a new bike. Until you've mastered the skills of dirt riding, you are going to drop it/crash it.

If it were me, as I'm generally strapped myself when it comes to throwing money at bikes, I would try dropping the gearing as it's easily the cheapest thing by far to try first. Proper reed selection and power valve adjustment can also help with power band tuning. You only need to put a foot down when you stop moving forward. Take some of the tendency to stall away from it and you will be much better off. There are plenty of small bore bike lovers here that can help you get that sorted with the little inexpensive things that will make it better.

On the other hand, if you just need an excuse to get a new Beta, then there's not much that can be done to help you with that. I was at my local Beta dealer drooling over a 300RR yesterday. Even though my suspension (that I waited almost 3.5 years to finally invest in cause I'm cheap) isn't even done yet for my 449, I'm already trying to justify getting the Beta to race so I can keep the TE as a fun/DS bike and not beat it to death. The Beta is simply a well put together bike, period. These guys sell Huskies too and sitting on the TE300 right after the Beta, I just felt at home on the sexy Italian, and not so much on the white pumpkin.

In other words, I don't blame ya one bit for wanting the Xtrainer.